Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad with Grilled Shrimp
This refreshing orzo pasta salad combines tender grilled shrimp, zesty lemon, crunchy vegetables, and perfectly cooked orzo with a simple lemon vinaigrette-style dressing.
Servings 6
Equipment
- 12-inch wood or metal skewers - look for smooth skewers; without splinters ,and with a pointy end.
- Micro Planner - for grating the garlic and zesting the lemon.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dry Orzo pasta also called Risoni pasta
- 1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 cup cucumber diced
- 1 small red onion diced approximately ½ cup
- ¼ cup fresh basil slivered or chopped
Grilled Shrimp & Marinade
- 2 lb medium to large peeled & deveined raw shrimp
- 3 garlic cloves crushed or grated
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small lemon, juiced 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
- ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Lemon Dressing
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice fresh
- ½ tsp Dried Basil
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 tsp lemon zest
To garnish:
- Fresh basil & lemon slices
Instructions
Marinate the shrimp:
- Prepare the shrimp marinade in a medium-sized bowl by whisking together the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Add the shrimp and toss to coat them. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator and let it marinate for 15-30 minutes, no more.
- Soak wood skewers in water for 15-30 minutes while the shrimp marinates, using soaked wood skewers will prevent them from catching fire on the grill. You can also use re-usable metal skewers if you have them.
Prepare the Lemon dressing:
- Add all ingredients, olive oil, lemon juice, dried basil, pepper, salt, and lemon zest into a small bowl. Whisk until all the ingredients are mixed and the oil emulsifies. Set aside.
Cook the orzo pasta and prep the vegetables:
- Bring water to a boil and add 1 Tablespoon salt to the water. Cook the orzo to al dente following the package instructions.
- While the orzo pasta is cooking, wash and dry the tomatoes and cucumbers.
- Cut the tomatoes in half and dice the cucumbers, then add them to a large bowl.
- Peel and dice the red onion, rinse the diced onions if they are extra spicy, drain and add them to the other vegetables.
- Drain and rinse the orzo with plenty of cold water to stop the cooking process and remove any surface starch.
- Once drained, return the orzo to the pot. Add 1 Tbsp of the lemon dressing, then mix to thoroughly coat the orzo and prevent it from sticking together. Set aside.
Assemble the orzo salad:
- In a large salad bowl combine the cooked orzo with the chopped vegetables.
- Chop basil into small slivers and sprinkle over the orzo.
- Add the rest of the lemon dressing.
- Mix to combine well. Taste and season with salt & pepper as needed. Save the salad until ready to serve.
Grill the shrimp
- Preheat the grill to medium heat for 15 minutes or until hot. Add 6 marinated shrimp to each skewer and grill them immediately.
- Grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until shrimp are pink and opaque. Remove from the heat.
- Garnish the Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad with lemon slices & fresh basil and serve with the grilled shrimp skewers.
